Entertainment Reviews:

Product Description:

Attila the Hun's bloodthirsty rise to world dominance is portrayed in the sweeping and epic, ATTILA. Director Dick Lowry Attila follows Attila with glorious and fastidious detail from his youth as a warrior in training in fifth-century Europe through his rapid rise to dominance. A fortune teller predicts that the young Attila will one day lead the Huns and possibly the world, and as he reaches adulthood this prophecy seems destined to come true. A bitter rivalry with his brother Bleda is the only thing keeping him from his glory. When Bleda has King Rua assassinated, Attila confronts him in a duel and wins both the throne and Bleda's wife, N'Kara. Attila's single-minded skill in battle helps him amass an empire bigger than any other. But the film portrays the warriors inner world, as he struggles with the loss of his life and the difficulties of destiny, revenge, deception, and betrayal. With only one rival in his way--the Romans--lead by Attila's former ally Flavius Aetius, Attila is poised to conquer the world, as the two headstrong and ambitious leaders face off at the legendary Battle of Chalons.

ATTILA was made for the USA Network on cable television.

Plot Keywords:

Action |
Barbarians |
Cable Original |
Epic |
War

Production Notes:

Television release: January 30, 2001 (USA network).

The trailer for ATTILA, a made-for-television miniseries, was shown in movie theaters. According to the USA network, ATTILA was the "highest rated original miniseries on basic cable since USA's own MOBY DICK."

Regarding the casting of hunky Gerard Butler in the lead role, co-executive producer Michael Joyce said that according to historians, the real Attila "was an ugly, squat guy."

Butler told the New York Daily News, "I have a lot of love for the guy. [Attila]'s been painted very negatively through time....He's known as a demonic, crazy figure, but there's a lot more to the man....He wasn't necessarily a great guy or the devil, but he was extreme."